Spinach Artichoke Mac and Cheese

Mac and Cheese Mondays has been going on for 5 weeks now!  This week I decided to make spinach artichoke macaroni and cheese, based on my love of spinach artichoke dip.  My goal was to create a meal just as delicious as the dip.

This recipe is very loosely based on a recipe for artichoke lasagna.  As always I changed some of the ingredients to create a lower fat version.  I decided to top my mac and cheese with a panko topping because I wanted to mimic the texture of eating artichoke dip with crackers.

Total time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

You will need:
2 1/2 cups pound tubular pasta
1 1/2 cup Milk (I used skim)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup Reduced Fat Shredded Mozzarella
1/3 cup Parmesan
3/4 cup Ricotta (part skim)
1 can of artichoke hearts, chopped
2 big hand fulls of spinach
1/4 Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Step 1:
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box.  Drain and set aside.

Step 2:
Whisk together the milk and flour over medium heat.  Bring to a slow boil and let boil for 1 minute stirring constantly.

Step 3:
Add 1/4 cup mozzarella and all of the ricotta and parmesan to the milk.  Stir until melted.  Then add the spinach and artichokes.  Once the spinach has cooked add in the pasta and stir together.

Step 4:
Pour the mac and cheese into an oven safe dish.  Top with the panko and 1/4 cup mozzarella.  Place under the broiler for 3-4 minutes until browned.